In this song, during a musical performance of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew (the subplot of Kate), three suitors (Gremio, Lucentio, and Hortensio) compete to win Bianca's affections (Gremio claiming wealth, Hortensio offering social standing, and Lucentio with a promise of love).
Whereas other songs from Kiss Me, Kate (such as "So in Love" and "Too Darn Hot") were released as singles and achieved commercial success outside the show ("So in Love" reached the top ten on the Hit Parade in 1949 and has since been covered by scores of recording artists), "Tom, Dick or Harry" was written expressly to advance the Shrew subplot and is, therefore, a showtune in the truest sense of the word. This is why many studio (non-cast) recordings of Kiss Me, Kate do not include the song.
In 1990, theatre historian Miles Krueger conducted an interview with Patricia Morison (who originated the title role in Kate) to discuss the original production as well as the six songs dropped from the show prior to the Broadway opening. When asked about one of the deleted songs, "If Ever Married I'm", Morison responded by stating: "That was for Bianca. It was replaced by 'Tom, Dick or Harry' which tells the same story".[1]
Performance in 2000
On May 18, 2000, "Tom, Dick or Harry" was performed on NBC-TV's Today show by 1999 Broadway revival cast members Amy Spanger (as Bianca), Michael Berresse (as Lucentio), Kevin Neal McCready (as Gremio), and Darren Lee (as Hortensio) as a result of the show having garnered the greatest number of Tony nominations (twelve) for that year.[2]
The Broadway revival of Kate went on to become the top winning show at the 54th Tony Awards (the only show to receive five or more Tonys).[citation needed]
References
^Kiss Me, Kate complete score double CD recording (EMI Angel CDC-7-54034-2; Booklet, p. 19).